A conventional analyzer capable of aspirating a liquid from a liquid container including a cover material for sealing an opening part of the liquid container is disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,628,962.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,628,962 discloses an analyzer provided with a reagent container holding device capable of holding a reagent container which includes a cover for sealing an opening part of the reagent container, a dispensing mechanism including a nozzle for aspirating a reagent from the reagent container held by the reagent container holding device, and an operating mechanism for opening the opening part of the reagent container. In this analyzer, the cover is attached to the reagent container body by a hinge so as to be rotatable, and the opening part of the reagent container can be opened to a position which allows the nozzle of the dispensing mechanism to be inserted by raising one edge of the cover upward via a hook of the operating mechanism to rotate the cover in one movement (one operation) causing the cover to pivot on the rotational center of the hinge.
However, the analyzer disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,628,962 rotates the cover in one movement (one operation) by pivoting on the hinge to a position which allows the nozzle of the aspirating mechanism to be inserted into the opening part of the reagent container by raising an edge of the cover via a hook of the operating mechanism when opening the opening part of the reagent container. A problem arises inasmuch as an air pressure differential occurs between the interior and exterior of the reagent container when the sealed state of the reagent container is broken, whereupon the reagent adhered near the opening part and on the inner side of the cover is dispersed in the air to the outside of the reagent container.